A befitting reply indeed! Gautam Choudhury
--- On Wed, 16/7/08, uttam borthakur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: uttam borthakur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Assam] Fwd: Murder Most Foul - Pets > To: "'A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world'" > <[email protected]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Wednesday, 16 July, 2008, 7:44 AM > Ram da > > A good one within no time. > > > Uttam Kumar Borthakur > > --- On Wed, 16/7/08, W.Saleh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > From: W.Saleh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Assam] Fwd: Murder Most Foul - Pets > To: "'A Mailing list for people interested in > Assam from around the world'" > <[email protected]> > Date: Wednesday, 16 July, 2008, 2:58 AM > > Excellent reply. Thanks for covering it also on our behalf. > > Warm regards, > Wahid Saleh > > > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Namens > Ram Sarangapani > Verzonden: dinsdag 15 juli 2008 19:35 > Aan: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from > around the world > Onderwerp: Re: [Assam] Fwd: Murder Most Foul - Pets > > Thanks C'da. I am not sure why it didn't make it to > the Assamnet the > first > time. > BTW - I made sure to CC all her friends at JNU, the Deccan > Chronicle and > elsewhere. > > If nothing else, the next time any of these people write, > they might think > carefully and pay more attention. > > --Ram > > > > On 7/15/08, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > Terrific Ram. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > At 11:53 AM -0500 7/15/08, Ram Sarangapani wrote: > > > Not sure if this made it to Assamnet before. > Anyway forwarding > here. > > >___________________ > > > > > >Dear Ms. Shukla, > > > > > >I was agast to read your article "Murder most > foul" in the > Deccan > > Chronicle > > >(July 15, 2008). Yes, I was agast as to how the > poor JNU's campus > dog was > > >bludgeoned to death, but I was more agast of your > rather poor > knowledge > > of, > > >and condescension toward the North Eastern states > of India. > > > > > >It maybe that you perhaps first need an object > lesson in geography, > > possibly > > >history of India (you know - get to know your > country), and not in the > > >least, a good lesson in humility. > > > > > >First of all, you ought to know that the North > Eastern States > comprises > of > > >many other states. In Assam, a North-Eastern > State, for example, there > are > > >many vegitarians, as well as non-vegitarians, and > the population is > mostly > > >Hindu. Manipur, another North-Eastern state, too > is mostly Hindu. Dogs > > >certainly are not on the menu. > > > > > >It is unfortunate, that you could not bring > yourself to appreciate the > > >beauty of the landscape of Nagaland. You probably > did not find it in > your > > >heart to appreciate and study the culture, the > language and customs of > the > > >good people of Nagaland. If I could suggest, you > might want to try and > > read > > >the volumes of good literature written by the > British (many of the > > >army) on the North-Eastern states during the Raj. > > > > > >You make some sweeping statements regarding the > whole of the North > East, > > >when you declare, > > > > > >"Apparently North-Eastern students at JNU > regularly lynch and > barbecue > > >dogs." > > > > > >Really! Have you ever met or heard of any Assamese > or Manipuri who > eats > > >dogs? I know, you may think 'they all look > alike' and hence > your > > >condescension and then clubbing of all the > 'natives' together. > The fact, > > >however, is the people in the North-Eastern states > are as varied and > > >different as other parts of the country, and so > are their food habits. > > They > > >come in different hues. > > >That is what makes India unique, as the country > comprises of all hues, > > >shapes, forms, colors, religions, vegitarians, and > non-vegitarians. > > > > > >And when you write > > > "After combing the area, my husband visited > the Gaon Burha > (village > > >Pradhan) of the closest Naga settlement and spelt > out all sorts of > dire > > >consequences if the dog did not return. Twenty > minutes later, Bindu > was > > >safely home." > > > > > >Wow! isn't that something? Your husband showed > them, didn't > he? Your army > > >husband brought down the full weight and force of > the whole Indian > army > on > > >the Gaon Burha and threatened the poor guy with > "dire > consequences". > > >One wonders, with all this condescension raining > down on the poor > chap, > > what > > >those threats might have been? > > >Beat up the natives? Burn down their silly > hutments? Kill, rape and > > plunder > > >their sordid villages? What? > > > > > >Ms. Shukla, what you and your husband may not know > is that the Indian > Army > > >is NOT yours or your husband's personal army. > The Army has a role, > and > > >hopefully that role does NOT consist of rescuing > irish setters of some > > army > > >officer. Your very tone suggests of condescension > and of 'dealing > with > the > > >natives'. At the very least you might want to > get off that high > horse and > > >descend the mighty steps of Indraprastha. > > > > > > Just like many people, we too love our pets and > would prefer that > > animals > > >not be ill-treated. Your concern for the pet dogs > of JNU is admirable. > > >Every time we visit India, we often see animals > either uncared for, or > > being > > >ill-treated. All sorts of animals from domestic > cows, and horses to > > mongrels > > >are let loose and are not cared for. > > > > > >Therefore when you write about Nagas (and all of > the North-East) > eating > > >dogs, one tends to think about all those other > animals being eaten by > > >non-vegitarians? How do you think vegitarians feel > about the > slaughtering > > of > > >these animals and how they are slaughtered? How do > you explain that > away > > to > > >hard-core vegitarians in India? How do you feel > about the slaughter > of > > >goats and buffaloes in the name of animal > sacrifice in many Kali and > Durga > > >Temples across India? Where really are your > sensitivities? Do you > protest > > as > > >vehemently and with such venom? > > > > > >I would like you and your kind readers to also > note this. The past so > many > > >years, there has been a tendency, specially in > Delhi, to view young > women > > >from the North East as "easy". There > have been a number of > cases of rape > > and > > >molestation of these women, and if I am not > mistaken even at JNU. > These > > >cases were not so much because the victims were > women, but more so > because > > >they belonged to the North-Eastern States. > > > > > >In fact, after one of these cases, a high-ranking > police official in > Delhi > > >was quoted saying something like, "These > North-Eastern girls > should dress > > >properly - then these things would not > happen". This is the same > reason > > why > > >women from the West are periodically molested and > raped in Delhi and > other > > >places - they are though of as being > "easy" and dressing > provocativingly. > > > > > >Then there are pre-conceived notions held by > sections of people in > Delhi > > and > > >other places that the North-Eastern states are > "foreign" and > their people > > >from China or some other place - obviously because > how some of them > look. > > > > > >Add articles like yours to such pre-concieved > notions and then imagine > > what > > >the people of the North-East are likely to feel. > And then good people > in > > the > > >rest of the country keep wondering why on earth do > the people of the > > >North-East feel alienated from the rest of > country? > > > > > >Perhaps you and others would be kind enough to > educate this section > > uncouth > > >and uneducated Delhites and other places that the > people of the > > >North-Eastern states are also Indians. That some > look different and > are > as > > >different as people from Kerela and UP, and that > their customs and > > languages > > >are different as others, and lastly they are as > much (or as > > >less)sophisticated and educated as people in the > rest of India. > > > > > >Lastly, regarding the punishment you recommend for > Mr. Yoronso. First > off, > > >what are the laws regarding animal cruelty in > India? Is it a crime to > eat > > >dogs? Is the law strictly applied? How is the > slaughtering of a goat > (by > > >slitting its throat, half-way) any different? Have > you goaded others > to > > >prosecute all such butchers in India? > > > > > >And then, what has Mr. Yoronso's Phd to do > with this case? Why > would you > > >take away his Phd? Does the crime, if any, fit the > punishment you > > recommend? > > > > > >Bottom line, Ms. Shukla, your article hurts a lot > of people, and you > don't > > >do the country any favors. But, I have a lot of > confidence in the > Deccan > > >Chronicle's readership. They will, I am sure, > give your article > the > > >attention it deserves and understand the gist of > my protest here. > > > > > >I sincerely hope the Deccan Chronicle will publish > this strong > objection. > > > > > >Sincerely & with best wishes, > > > > > >Ram Sarangapani > > >Texas, USA > > >_______________________________________________ > > >assam mailing list > > >[email protected] > > > >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > assam mailing list > > [email protected] > > > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > Explore your hobbies and interests. Go to > http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/ > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org From Chandigarh to Chennai - find friends all over India. Go to http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/citygroups/ _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
